Mayor’s future funding for cycling welcome but it should match Dutch levels of investment

LCC has welcomed the 10-year funding plan proposed by Mayor Boris Johnson, acknowledging the £100 million per year over 10 years exceeds previous spending significantly.

However, we’re calling on Transport for London to increase funding for cycling in line with the proposals from the London Assembly Transport Committee in its recent Investigation into Safer Cycling report.

The Assembly report called for 2013-14 funding to be increased to £145 million to stimulate growth in bicycle use in the capital, but TfL plans to spend just £100 million per year on cycling for the next 10 years.

LCC chief executive Ashok Sinha said:

“We welcome this increased investement over 10 years, but in view of the fact that cycling provides such massive benefits for the transport and health of Londoners, we agree with the London Assembly Transport Committee that spending should be increased to Dutch levels of £30-40 per head of population.

“Boris Johnson needs to show strong political will and commit significant increases in funding to fix the hundreds of dangerous junctions and create conditions in London that are safe and inviting for everyone to cycle – a figure of £1 billion over 10 years is unlikely to have the desired impact.”

Dutch levels of expenditure on cycling are estimated at £30-40 per head of population per year, which would equate to £3 billion across Greater London over a decade.

TfL announced its business plan for the next 10 years in December, although some details were announced to the press in advance of the official launch.

The London Assembly criticised the Mayor’s Outer London cycling programme as suffering chonic shortfall of funding, and agreed with LCC’s proposal that £100 million should be allocated specifically for the Junctions Review currently taking place.

The expenditure plans still depend on TfL gaining funds from the Government.